Indiana shoreline scoured by waves

Zbigniew Bzdak, Chicago Tribune

Steve Barker of La Porte takes pictures of the shoreline of Lake Michigan west from Porter Beach and near the Indiana Dunes State Park. Waves as high as 25 feet tall unleashed by this week's winter storms caused severe erosion at Indiana Dunes State Park, according to the manager of the park. Erosion left sand cliffs about six feet tall at water's edge, according to park manager Brandt Baughman. Baughman says the waves that scoured the shoreline during Sunday and Monday's storms caused damage that stretched west to beach properties in Porter, Ogden Dunes and Dune Acres. Porter building inspector Art Elwood said that before the storm, the owners of private beach properties could walk down the sloping dunes all the way to the beach. Now, they have 12- to 15-feet tall sand cliffs in their way.

Steve Barker of La Porte takes pictures of the shoreline of Lake Michigan west from Porter Beach and near the Indiana Dunes State Park. Waves as high as 25 feet tall unleashed by this week's winter storms caused severe erosion at Indiana Dunes State Park, according to the manager of the park. Erosion left sand cliffs about six feet tall at water's edge, according to park manager Brandt Baughman. Baughman says the waves that scoured the shoreline during Sunday and Monday's storms caused damage that stretched west to beach properties in Porter, Ogden Dunes and Dune Acres. Porter building inspector Art Elwood said that before the storm, the owners of private beach properties could walk down the sloping dunes all the way to the beach. Now, they have 12- to 15-feet tall sand cliffs in their way. (Zbigniew Bzdak, Chicago Tribune)

Steve Barker of La Porte takes pictures of the shoreline of Lake Michigan west from Porter Beach and near the Indiana Dunes State Park. Waves as high as 25 feet tall unleashed by this week's winter storms caused severe erosion at Indiana Dunes State Park, according to the manager of the park. Erosion left sand cliffs about six feet tall at water's edge, according to park manager Brandt Baughman. Baughman says the waves that scoured the shoreline during Sunday and Monday's storms caused damage that stretched west to beach properties in Porter, Ogden Dunes and Dune Acres. Porter building inspector Art Elwood said that before the storm, the owners of private beach properties could walk down the sloping dunes all the way to the beach. Now, they have 12- to 15-feet tall sand cliffs in their way.